-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the scorching desert of Qatar , scientists are showing that saltwater can be used to help grow crops .

A one hectare research initiative known as the Sahara Forest Project -- modest in size , but not in ambition -- has produced a harvest of barley , cucumbers and arugula in the last few months using a mix of ingredients not usually associated with successful agriculture : seawater and Qatar 's ample supply of heat .

Conceived in Norway , the first-ever Sahara Forest Project facility launched last November to coincide with the United Nations Climate Conference e -LRB- COP18 -RRB- in Doha . It implements a range of cutting-edge environmentally-friendly technologies that takes the things that Qatar has in excess -- heat and seawater -- and converts them into a range of valuable resources .

`` These are ideas that could sound too good to be true , '' admits the project CEO , Joakim Hauge , adding that in the early days the project met with an equal measure of enthusiasm and skepticism .

`` Really , though , there 's a very simple principle behind this . Our starting point was to take what we have enough of -- seawater , heat -- and use it to produce what we need more of -- water , energy and a sustainable production of food . ''

The project has a global scope . It boasts seawater-cooled greenhouses , concentrated solar power and algae production -- all working symbiotically to solve several of the world 's ecological crises in one go .

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`` Qatar is one of the most challenging climates in the world to work in for this kind of thing , '' says Dr. Virginia Corless , the science and development manager . `` The high temperatures and humidity make it very challenging for our technology . But if the technology works there , and it has , it proves it 's feasible for many locations around the world . ''

In addition to producing food and desalinated water in regions that indigenously lack both , the facility is also looking into greening the desert and creating alternative , eco-friendly fuel sources .

Synergy is one of the cornerstones of the project ; it 's what allows it to address so many issues at once , like an elaborate , environmental Rube Goldberg mechanism . The facility features a concentrated solar power plant , which turns heat into steam , then , with turbines and generators , into electricity , which in turn pumps seawater to the site , where it is used to cool the greenhouses .

Freshwater waste from the greenhouses is then used to irrigate plants outside . Strategically planted hedges outside the greenhouse help filter the remainder , creating a humidified and cooler environment for plants downwind .

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Lastly , the saltwater is also used to cultivate algae , which can be used for large-scale bio-energy production -- though currently the algae plant is still in the research phase . Algae production on its own , says Corless , can be expensive and dependent on geographical constraints -LRB- it usually needs to be developed along expensive , sought-after coastal property -RRB- .

`` What we 're doing is putting an algae cultivation system into an even broader system that can share costs and increase energy . One of the biggest shared costs we have is the saltwater infrastructure , '' she says .

Neil Crumpton , the chair and CEO of Planet Hydrogen , an NGO that promotes green energy , says the project is , potentially , a `` game changer '' .

`` The biggest issues right now are climate change and water resources globally , and these simple technologies can tackle both , '' he says . `` I ca n't help thinking that this is vision , not mirage . ''

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Some experts , however , question if the Sahara Forest Project is the best use of resources . The facility , which was funded by fertilizer companies Yara International and Qafco and cost $ 5.3 million to set up .

`` With the same funding , you could restore ecosystems and help people more effectively through community-based natural resource management , '' says Patrick Gonzalez , a forest ecologist who has conducted research in the Sahel region of North Africa with the University of California , Berkeley .

`` Rather than pouring water on desert sands that have n't had much vegetation in centuries , you can restore land that until recently had a healthy tree cover . Natural regeneration of trees in the Sahel is less flashy and more difficult , but you could directly benefit the families that depend on the trees , '' he adds .

Despite the mixed reviews , Hague says that the site has proven itself with the new crop influx , adding that many skeptics have been won over .

`` It helps when people can see it on the ground , and taste the cucumbers and see that this is real , '' he says . `` We 've proven that this can be implemented . ''

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Sahara Forest Project in Qatar implements a range of cutting-edge green technologies that all work together

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The system includes seawater greenhouses , concentrated solar power and algae production

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The goal is to produce food and other vegetation , as well as desalinated water

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The project has elicited enthusiasm but also skepticism over whether it is a good use of resources